The West Bengal BJP’s major organisational change after back-to-back poll losses has shown an emphasis on women leaders to counter chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s popularity. While the state BJP unit wants to right its wrongs with these structural changes, the introduction of women at major party organisation posts is a significant move.
The BJP has appointed two female vice-presidents, two general secretaries and three secretaries in the reshuffle of the state committee, for which the party released a fresh list of 72 members.
With Dr Madhuchanda Kar and Krishna Baidya, one doctor and the other a teacher, the BJP wants to tap into the image of the educated Bengali woman representing all sections of society. Dr Kar was with the doctors’ union of the BJP and was promoted as vice-president.
Member of Parliament Locket Chatterjee and renowned fashion designer Agnimitra Paul have also been appointed general secretary. Paul, who was the mahila morcha president, has not completed many years in the BJP and is relatively a fresh face.
Paul told News18, “Bengal is sympathetic to women and, obviously, at times the TMC plays the ‘victim card’ so yes women can counter her (Mamata) better there. The BJP has always given more importance to women and, in Bengal, women play a vital role in society so that is there as well. In our party, there is always a massive space for women.”
Women voters, too, played a vital role in Bengal’s mandate this time. Whenever Mamata was attacked, the TMC came up with the theory of “outsiders defaming banglar meye (Bengal’s daughter)”.
BJP wants to tap bhadralok image
The BJP has never given much importance to the projection of the Bengali bhadralok as they have always functioned like a non-Bengali “outsider” party. But party insiders said this was about to change with the BJP putting more emphasis on the educated Bengali bhadralok image. The new state BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar, holds a doctorate and projects himself as a typical Bengali male.
A former journalist, Jagannath Chatterjee, too, was promoted as general secretary. He joined the party as a candidate from Siuri. Jagannath told News18, “There is a generational shift nationwide in bringing forward new faces. The Bengal committee is following that line. The old guard is also well accommodated in the committee. The combination of old and new will work in the coming days.”
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